ELECTROCHEMISTRY
Hydrogen: present and future trends
Both the demand for pure hydrogen and the range of its applications have, over recent years, increased enormously. The electrolysis of water has proved to be the most convenient and flexible method to produce hydrogen of high purity, the reforming of naphta or natural gas bearing the drawbacks of high investment for small requirements, limited flexibility of production capacity, and the additional requirement of a complex and costly purification system.
High purity hydrogen is increasingly in demand for the following applications:
- Hydrogenation of oil and fat
- Production of alcohols from fatty acids
- Cooling of turbines in thermal and nuclear power stations
- Metallurgical reduction processes
- Production of electronic components
In addition, hydrogen is almost certainly going to be the basic facility for energy in the future. The unique advantages of a pollution free combustion, the easy availability of water as feedstock, a simple closed cycle of regeneration, as well as simple storage and transportation, have simulated a concentrated effort to develop this technology.
The research facilities of SESPI, coupled with a wide experience gained in the manufacture and installation of hydrogen generating plants in power stations and fat hardening factories, have resulted in a market progress, particularly in the simplicity, reliability and safety of operation.